Step By Step
by Sir Perfluous
Summary: He needed help getting a date and she couldn't dance to save her life. What two friends learn from helping each other makes the strange looks, the outrageous rumors, and the sore toes all worth it in the end.


**A/N:**  
 **This lighter fluffier Dino Charge oneshot is meant to be random and purely just for fun.**

 **I don't own Power Rangers, blah blah, intellectual property, yadda yadda salute the show... you know the drill.**

* * *

Chase Randall gave a dejected sigh as he sat alone drinking a soda cup in the now empty café. The museum had just closed for the day and the other Rangers had gone home to enjoy their own Friday evening plans. As he sat stirring the last of his drink with his straw, he looked at the two tickets in his hand, thinking back to events from earlier that day while wondering what he'd do now.

 _"You want me to go to Amber Beach's Charity Salsa Dance Night… with you?" Laura asked as the two sat in the museum cafe. The attractive blonde girl who was a regular customer there gave him a reluctant look while he smiled hopefully and flashed the two tickets._

 _"Well, sure! I remember you said that you liked salsa dancing too and were interested in the event. It's for a good cause, so I figured why not get two tickets in advance and make a date of it. What do you say?"_

 _"Oh, I don't know Chase," Laura replied, "I was actually kinda hoping I could go with… uh, someone else. You understand, don't you?"_

 _The Black Ranger flinched a little and scrambled to tuck the tickets back in his pocket while trying not to look too disappointed, "Oh, yeah. Sure. No worries. Umm, good luck with all that then… I guess I'll still see you there..."_

That had been kind of awkward and embarrassing. It's not like he hadn't been turned down by a girl before. That's just the way things went sometimes... but still, no guy every really enjoyed the feeling or quite got used to it either. What was he going to do with his spare ticket now?

As he sat pondering, Kendall walked by heading back toward her office to finish up some paperwork before going home. When she saw him sitting there, she stopped and walked over, looking at him in surprise, "Chase? What are you still doing here? The museum just closed."

He gave a sigh and prepared to answer when a sudden thought crossed his mind. He glanced at the two tickets in his hand, then at the young woman in front him, then back to the tickets again.

"Chase, is everything ok?" Kendall asked in slight confusion, "You've got a very strange look on your face."

The Black Ranger waved it off and flashed a roguish grin, "Hey Kendall, what are you doing on the last Saturday night of the month?"

She stopped and adjusted her glasses in shock, "Excuse me?"

"Do you have plans?" Chase prompted again showing her the tickets in his hand, "There's a charity dance coming up and I could really use your help."

After taking a few minutes to explain the situation to her, Kendall crossed her arms, "I see now. You know Laura is going to be there with another guy and you want to make her jealous, right?"

"More or less," Chase shrugged, "So what do you think Kendall? Do you want to be my dance partner for the night and help me out?"

"Well... I'm very flattered you decided to ask me, but I'm afraid I can't," Kendall replied evasively.

"What? Why?" Chase pleaded, "You're probably the only female friend I'd feel comfortable enough asking to do this and not feel weird either."

Kendall fixed Chase with a pensive frown before sighing, "If you really have to know... it's because I can't dance."

Kendall cleared her throat in slight embarrassment before muttering, "It's always felt uncomfortable for me and to be honest, I've always been kind of terrible at it too."

"Nonsense!" the Black Ranger grinned reassuringly, "I can teach you!"

Kendall grimaced reluctantly, "Oh, I don't know Chase. This might not be a great idea. I mean, I'll trip all over you, I'd feel really self conscious and…"

"Relax. No one is going to care," Chase laughed, "I won't, and neither should you. Besides, it'll be good for you too. It would give you a chance to get out and loosen up a little more, right?"

Kendall frowned skeptically prompting Chase to offer his hand, "Salsa dancing is supposed to be fun and good exercise on top of that. Trust me."

"Well…"

Chase gave an imploring look working all the charm he had, "We could practice after work in the museum's north wing so no one will see you. They've also got speakers there for music. What do you think?"

After a long moment of thought, Kendall finally rolled her eyes and gave a deep sigh, "Oh all right. But you're going to owe me big time for this... starting with showing up to work on time every day this week."

"You're the best Kendall!" Chase smiled brightly as he put his tickets away and hurried off, "And thanks again! I promise that you'll have fun."

Kendall watched him go while shaking her head. She wanted to believe that statement, but between now and the end of the month, they had a long way to go and a lot of practicing left to do.

* * *

The next week, Chase and Kendall met in the museum's north wing after closing time to start their first dance practice. Before they began piping in some music to practice to, Chase walked back over toward her in the open hallway they were using, "Ok, now before we start, let's practice moving together with those basic steps and patterns I just showed you. Sound good?"

Kendall gave a hesitant shrug then recoiled as Chase stood close and took her hand while putting his other hand on her waist. "What are you doing?"

The Black Ranger blinked in innocent confusion, "Umm, getting in starting position? You do know that salsa dancing gets pretty hard to do when your partner is standing three feet apart from you, right?"

Kendall gave a grudging nod, conceding the point as she got back in position and put her other hand on the Black Ranger's shoulder.

"Ok great," Chase said beginning to lead her through the steps "Now, just follow my movements, and, ouch!"

Kendall bit her lip as she stepped on Chase's foot but he kept them dancing, "That's ok. Keep going. 1, and 2, and ow!"

"Sorry," she apologized again as Chase bit his own lip and soldiered on while getting his feet trampled a few more times.

"See? Better. You're... ow! Starting to get the hang of it now," Chase groaned, "Just... ouch! Stop thinking so much about the steps. There. Loosen up and... arrgh! Bloody hell!"

* * *

The two friends continued their routine after work hours for the next few weeks. Barring any monster attacks or pressing museum business, they would meet every two days and practice their sidestepping, turns, and twirls. Over time, they both noticed some changes. While they were still far from perfect, progress had been made. For one thing, Chase's feet weren't kicked half as much while Kendall's movements became less hesitant and stiff.

While the two had already been good friends who trusted each other beforehand, they hardly noticed the way they slowly grew more comfortable around each other when they practiced. Whether it was the close proximity or the upbeat music, the two friends' movements became more relaxed and coordinated with each other.

Chase really had done a great job of teaching her in such a short time, Kendall thought to herself one night as they reviewed some moves from earlier in the week. Even though she still missed a step sometimes or botched the occasional turn. He didn't seem to mind at all and in truth, they were both having some fun. At first these practices seemed like a chore, but as strange as it was, they both looked forward to them now.

"Ok Kendall, you've done really great so far," Chase said letting go for a moment to turn down the music, "But since that dance is coming up in a few days, I figured I'd teach you a few new advanced moves beforehand. Do you think you're up to it?"

Giving a shrug, she extended a hand with a faint smile, "Why not? Let's try it,"

As the two continued to practice, Tyler strolled down the opposite end of the hallway wiping his brow from having stayed late to load some new supplies from the museum's loading dock. While he passed by the edge of the north wing, he stopped when he thought he heard voices echoing from the hallway.

The Red Ranger curiously made his way further into the gallery being sure to keep quiet until he heard the voices of Chase and Kendall. From where he stood, he couldn't see them, even as he crouched and ducked behind a large display case full of dinosaur fossils. He began laughing to himself for being so silly and prepared to look around the corner when he overheard bits and pieces of their strange conversation. It almost sounded like they were both slightly out of breath.

"Should I put my hand here?"

"No, that's too low. Now turn that way a little bit... perfect."

"Are you sure you're not uncomfortable in this position Chase, because I feel a little weird doing this."

"No way. You're doing great Kendall. Now let's try that again... but faster this time."

Tyler's eyes went wide and he gave a nervous gulp. Was he intruding on some kind of private moment? He couldn't help but wonder if Chase and Ms. Morgan were actually having some kind of secret and very intimate relationship. Without the other Rangers knowing? What was he going to tell the others? Should he even tell the others?

Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Tyler crawled away from his hiding spot and retreated back into the central museum. He figured he should probably ask Shelby first. After all, she was a girl and was probably better when it came to these sorts of things.. right?

* * *

A few days passed and on the evening of the charity dance, Chase and Kendall drove into downtown Amber Beach and arrived at the upscale hotel where the event was being held. While they made their way into the large reception hall filled with dancers, colorful lights and up tempo music, Kendall fidgeted nervously to herself. "Are you really sure about everything Chase? I mean, all these people… and it feels a little strange dressing down like this."

Both had come in dark jeans, Chase in a black collared shirt and Kendall in a casual purple blouse.

"Having second thoughts?" he teased gently with a cheerful grin. He was clearly in his element.

"You know, before we left tonight, I think the other Rangers were giving us funny looks," Kendall noted, "Do you think they know we're coming here? Maybe they'll suspect something and follow us. Oh, I knew this was a bad idea…"

Chase laughed and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Relax Kendall. You're here to have fun tonight. And after all our practicing, you'll do fine too."

He added with a playful wink, "Plus, I've gotta say... you look really hot tonight."

The scientist narrowed her eyes on him in gentle warning causing him to laugh again and correct himself, "Ok, sorry. Hotter than usual."

Kendall rolled her eyes and shook her head with a sigh of mild annoyance. As she did, she and Chase were approached by an attractive blonde haired girl in a revealing red halter top. Beside her was a burly young man in a flashy blue shirt.

"Oh! Chase, I see you made here after all," Laura smiled sweetly as she held her companion's hand, "Let me introduce you to my own date, Josh."

Josh gave a wary look to her as he exchanged a firm handshake with the Black Ranger, "So, this that Chase guy you were telling me stories about?"

"Only good ones I'm sure," Chase replied trying to be diplomatic, "Nice to meet you mate."

Kendall frowned slightly at the other girl's passive aggressive behavior, quietly questioning Chase's taste in women before Laura turned her eyes on her with a fake smile, "I'm Laura. I don't think we've met."

"Kendall," she replied politely shaking the girl's hand.

Leaning over, Laura asked Chase in a lower voice, "I'm surprised. She's so pretty. Did you con her into coming tonight? Or did you bribe her maybe?"

Kendall frowned at Laura while Chase cleared his throat defensively, "What? Of course not! Kendall's actually a very good friend of mine."

Laura simply shrugged in reply, "Well in that case, when we get out there and start dancing, I just hope you two will be able to keep up with us."

At that moment, an up tempo Cuban style tune began to play and Chase turned his head in surprise as he felt Kendall grab his arm and pull him out toward the floor.

"We'll just see who can keep up with who," she muttered to her friend as they made their way out amid a few other dancing couples. Glancing up to him with a determined look, she said, "Are you ready to show those two up and give them a dance lesson of our own?"

Chase gave an impressed smile and laughed, "All right. Let's go for it!"

The two friends took off amid the lights and the beat of claves putting all their practicing from earlier that month to the test. From the sidelines, they caught fleeting glimpses of Laura and Josh watching in surprise as Chase and Kendall moved together in focused sync. While they matched each others footwork, they couldn't help but smile as they caught each other's hands and twirled each other effortlessly, not once missing a beat.

They continued to spin and drew impressed looks and murmurs from other onlookers as they transitioned easily into a closed samba box step. Again they exchanged a grin using some of the new moves Chase had gone over earlier that week. As they turned briefly outward into a _balancete_ , or sideways whisk step, both friends couldn't help but notice the seductive way each others hips moved together to the rhythm.

When the music began to reach its climax, Chase led Kendall back and drew her near with one more short twirl. Moments before the song ended, they spun on their heels to show off, until Kendall missed a step and slightly lost her balance. She gave a gasp as Chase reacted and swiftly caught hold of her before she could completely pitch over backwards. If they had made a mistake, the onlookers certainly didn't notice and thought the improvised ending move was all part of their plan.

Amid the applause, both friends stood breathless, holding each other close for balance while looking directly at each other. Whether it had been the light, the music, or something else, a strange indescribable feeling passed between them for a fleeting moment. After the intimate moment passed, both friends exchanged a relieved smile and regained their balance.

Turning back around to address the impressed onlookers, Kendall grinned toward the Black Ranger, "Not bad, huh? At least I didn't step on your toes this time."

Chase couldn't help but laugh and gave her a wink back, "Oh, the night is just starting Kendall. There's plenty of time left for that."

While they received another round of applause, they gave a slight bow, all the while continuing to hold each other's hand.

* * *

Later that night, Chase and Kendall made their way back toward their apartments after parking at the museum a few blocks away. It was a mild evening and pleasant weather for a walk home. After all the loud music and colorful lights of the dance, the relative darkness and quietness was a nice return to normalcy.

"You know Kendall, I have to admit, you really surprised me out there tonight," Chase said absently, "I knew you were practicing but I didn't think you'd be so on your game tonight. Really, it was brilliant."

Kendall gave a modest shrug, "Thanks. I had a good teacher... and I really felt like sticking it to that Laura girl tonight."

"Yeah, about that..." Chase muttered sheepishly, "I'm really sorry about earlier. I did want to make her jealous tonight, but after the way she spoke about you... well, it was a real turn off. So, I guess I should be thanking you instead for doing such a good job."

Kendall graced him with a gentle smile and shook her head, "Don't mention it. It's what friends do, and I was happy to help. Though as your friend, I have be honest with you about one thing."

"Oh?" Chase asked curiously, "Shoot."

"You have terrible taste in the women you ask out," she said offhandedly, "You'd probably have better luck with someone who would be able to recognize your good qualities and appreciate them more."

Chase rolled his eyes but gave a smile, "I don't suppose you'd know where I could find any women like that, would you?"

Kendall smiled gently and tapped the frame of her glasses in a rare playful moment, "Tell you what... I'll keep an eye out, ok?"

Chase laughed again, feeling better already, "Fair enough. But all things considered, I still had a lot of fun tonight and I'm glad we did this."

"I feel the same way," she sighed absently, "I was actually kinda getting used to our evening practices and looking forward to them."

Chase scratched his chin thoughtfully for a moment as they reached the apartment complex entrance, "Well, there's no reason that has to be the end of it either... I mean, there's always other events being held in the city, so I'm sure we can find other opportunities to go dancing again."

"Wait, you mean you still want to go dancing in the future... with me?" Kendall asked in surprise.

"Well... yeah. Why not?" Chase answered frowning in confusion, "And... are you laughing at me right now?"

Kendall cleared her throat to keep from laughing and waved it off, "I'm sorry. It's just a little funny because I couldn't help but realize that this is the first time a guy has ever asked me to go to any kind of dance... besides tonight of course."

"You're kidding me..." Chase said in shock as he shook his head, "Well, ok then. Do you want to go do this again sometime? Hell, maybe we could even invite the other Rangers too?"

"I'd like that," Kendall answered with a thoughtful nod as she gave one more smile and headed toward her apartment, leaving him standing at the gate.

As he watched her depart, Chase couldn't help but smile and shake his head. That girl was certainly full of surprises because he had just surprised himself right now. He still wasn't quite sure if he had asked Kendall to go on an actual date and gotten one, but he supposed it would be best to simply play this one by ear and see how things went.

As he made his way up the steps to his own apartment, he began to wonder what his fellow Rangers would say to all this, or if they'd actually been giving him strange looks earlier tonight. Oh well. Whatever that may have been about, it really couldn't have been all that important... right?

* * *

 ***I know the Sentai Kyoryuger incorporated an element of Samba dancing into the show, but I thought Salsa would work just as well. That style of social dancing is a heck of a lot of fun so I definitely recommend giving it a try yourself!**


End file.
